Ed Mathews: Holiday travel will be heavy

EdMathews

November 18, 2012 12:01 AM

EdMathews

November 18, 2012 12:01 AM

This will be a busy week for traveling as many people head home for Thanksgiving. We are surprised the festive holiday is just days away. Thanksgiving has always been one of our favorite days because it gives families an opportunity to get together. Right now, the weather looks good, and we hope it stays that way so traveling delays can be avoided. ... Judging from his press conference on Wednesday, President Barack Obama is going right after the Republicans. He blasted some GOP senators for targeting U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice, who apparently is in the running to succeed Hillary Rodham Clinton as secretary of state. Obama told Sen. Lindsey Graham and Sen. John McCain that if they want to target somebody, they should go after him. Obama said Rice had no inside information when she talked about the attack in Libya in which four Americans were killed. ... Even though Hillary Clinton said she wants to take it easy for a while once she leaves the State Department, she does not rule out a possible run for the presidency in 2016. Clinton will be 69 that year, but she would be a strong candidate. We thought she did a good job as secretary of state, traveling to all corners of the globe and representing our nation well. ... On the topic of foreign affairs, we wonder if there will be any change in the United States' relationship with Cuba. A lot of fence-mending is needed, but perhaps the time has come.

Now that the election is over, we expect First Lady Michelle Obama to take an even more active role in the country. She is bright, warm and she makes a good impression wherever she goes. The Princeton University graduate has been a big asset for her husband. Uneasy before large crowds when her husband first ran for president, the first lady is now a natural. It has been fun watching the Obama daughters, Malia, 15, and Sasha, 11, grow up in the White House. Malia looks to be almost as tall as her father. ... Best wishes, belatedly, to Adala Mead, who turned 2 on Friday. ... Both County Executive Barry Grossman and Mayor Joe Sinnott proposed budgets with no tax increases, which comes as a relief to local residents. ... We offer our sympathy to the family of Rita Kuhn Mehler, who died Thursday at the age of 89. Rita and her late husband, Frank "Pouch" Mehler, were active in many organizations.